The following description is provided to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Real-time communication (RTC) is the generalized term for multiple systems which allow real time, or near real-time exchange of information over various protocols. The most common categories of RTC include instant messaging and text messaging. Electronic mail can be used for RTC as well, though it is slightly slower than the other media of RTC. The critical element of RTC comes in the nearly instant exchange of information using internet or telecommunications protocols.
The instant messaging category of RTC allows real-time text-based chat communication between two or more people using computing devices. Typically, instant messaging operates in a push mode where chats are sent directly to the receiver without the receiver having to poll for data. Instant messaging can enable people to chat over a network, such as the internet. In addition, some instant messaging clients allow for other features such as live voice, file sharing, video calls, etc.
The text messaging category of RTC is commonly called SMS (“Short Message Service”) and is a text messaging service component of phone, web, or mobile communication systems, that uses standardized communication protocols that allow the exchange of short text messages between the devices. RTC and SMS also include additional instant messaging technologies such as multimedia messaging services (MMS) which extends the RTC capabilities onto the mobile telephone network of devices. Using MMS, photos, videos, ringtones, etc., can be sent to mobile devices. The electronic mail category of RTC is commonly called email, and allows an author to exchange of digital messages with one or more recipients. The digital messages can include attachments such as image files, video files, and/or other documents.
Known systems have been used to provide RTC communications. The traditional methods for the RTC communications include but are not necessarily limited to: (1) both parties sharing a common communications protocol (email, text messaging/SMS, instant messaging, etc.); (2) the initiating party being required to know the recipients addresses or other identifying information prior to being able to initiate a communication; (3) both parties being identified to the other during the course of the communication by the RTC systems.
While RTC can be utilized in a number of different ways on various computing devices, the various modes of RTC are not interconnected. For example, two people chatting must use the same communication protocols and in some instances the same software to be able to chat.